March 24, 2012

Al-Qaeda's Network in Iran

An al Qaeda cell slated to take part in one of the final plots ordered by Osama bin Laden made use of an Iran-based terror network that, according to the Obama administration, operates “under an agreement between al Qaeda and the Iranian government.” That revelation has emerged from legal proceedings in Germany, including the trial of Ahmad Wali Siddiqui, an al Qaeda recruit who took the stand for the first time last week in Koblenz.

The raging battle between al-Qaeda and government security forces in southern Yemen in recent days is a reminder that the shadow of insurgency looms large over that country's effort to build a new political order. The swearing... more ››

Any rapprochement between Iran and the U.S. will have to acknowledge Iranian centrality in its region -- just as the U.S. eventually recognized India's in South Asia after a series of futile alliances... more ››